The history of this blog is ...
It started as a diary of starting my own public relations agency - POP! Public Relations.
I changed it to Jots and commentary, opinions and views on PR, publicity and issues therein.
And now, it's about public relations and social media and the hope for change, moving forward with and within the industries.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Will Wikipedia turn into SPAM?

Overlooked in the press about Adam Curry modifying the Podcasting page on Wikipedia, anonymously, to improve his image, is that it actually was a company turning a Wikipedia page into an ad for itself.

This came up during the presentation I gave at the Phoenix AMA Chapter meeting. A member of the audience asked if it was okay to start a Wiki page on your own company, and I screamed "nooooooo" and that is a great way to open up the client, the company to attacks in Wikipedia. I did suggest that everyone be aware of Wikipedia, and to track Wikipedia (just like you would track blogs), and if there are errors, to register, log-in and correct any wrong information.

But, no, do not start a page on yourself, your company or anything else that might look self-serving.

Winer is right - and I feel less than astute for not catching it - but how soon is it before less scrupulous companies begin to alter Wikipedia entries to give the company a bit of a push in history - and history revisionism. Yes, Wikipedia is working on such issues - but will it be enough?

But, you know, Wikipedia is already leaning toward SPAM. I did a quick search on Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton. Only one of these large multinational firms had a page - H&K - and it was an unflattering one. However, Schwartz PR, Wikimedia's own PR firm (scroll to the bottom), has a page. Hmm, I wonder why that is? Oh, could it be because they do the PR for the parent company, Wikimedia, and the counsel to name everything Wiki so consumers confuse Wikimedia with Wikipedia with anything else done by Wikimedia? One piece of advice - re-media train Jimmy Wales, prep him before each interview and do not allow him to do interviews via Webcam.

About Me

Using Usenet and online enthusiast sites - now called blogs or social networks - for campaigns when he started, Pepper incorporates online tactics to traditional strategies. Pepper has worked with a who's who of Fortune 500 companies, ranging from consumer tech to consumer packaged goods to high tech, providing integrated communications counsel to such companies as Kodak, Clorox, Cisco, GM, Mobile 1, HP, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Campbell's Soup, amongst others.

Pepper began his blog more than 8 years ago, and continues to be an early adopter of social media, understanding how it works in the real-world.

In his spare time, Pepper enjoys yoga, Pilates and boxing, can be found eating PB&J sandwiches or hamburgers and is the lone figure walking in LA.